RETHINKING ST. MARTINS

London's church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, designed by James Gibbs and completed in 1726, is now undergoing a badly needed restoration by Eric Parry Architects. Repairing a historic landmark can present legal and bureaucratic obstacles, but these architects have proposed a still bolder move: a new glass foyer in the church courtyard that will serve as an entrance to the rebuilt underground portion of the site. Next week Brian Libby will explain the project and the delicate processes of negotiating public acceptance.

PERFORMING GLASS

Take a spicy mixture of the visual and performing arts; add a wide range of support from university, government and civic sources; cover with glass; serves 250,000. That's the Shaw Center for the Arts' “recipe for revitalization” in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, designed by Schwartz/Silver Architects with Eskew + Dumez + Ripple, executive architects and Jerry M. Campbell and Associates, associate architects. Next week James McCown will tell us about the building's unique design and glass cladding system.